Streaming giant, Netflix, is facing heavy criticism for its decision to re-release James Cameron’s legendary film ‘Titanic’ just days after a tragic incident involving the sinking of the Titan tourist submersible, resulting in the loss of all five individuals on board.
The move by Netflix to bring back the Oscar-winning 1997 movie to its streaming platform on July 1 in the US and Canada has sparked outrage among social media users.
The Hollywood Reporter revealed the backlash Netflix is currently experiencing due to its choice of timing.
The incident occurred as the submersible named Titan was undertaking a dive of 13,000 feet to observe the wreckage of the historic British passenger liner Titanic, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912.
US Coast Guard authorities confirmed last week that the passengers tragically lost their lives in a “catastrophic implosion,” as reported by CNN.
On Twitter, one user expressed their concern, saying, “Anyone else find it fing terrifying that they ALREADY have a documentary of the Titanic sun on Netflix? It hasn’t even been a fing week bruh. Wtf. #setup.”
Another user commented on Netflix’s opportunistic move, stating, “So Netflix was like ‘let’s capitalize on this sub thing real quick…gone head and put TITANIC back in the rotation.”
Following an extensive five-day international search operation near the Titanic’s wreckage site, debris from the submersible, including the tail cone, was discovered by a remotely operated vehicle approximately 1,600 feet from the bow of the shipwreck.
This finding occurred hundreds of miles east of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. The US Coast Guard confirmed the deaths of the Titan’s passengers, revealing that they perished in the implosion.
The Washington Post highlighted the legal ambiguity surrounding the operations of OceanGate, the US-based private company that organized the submersible tours to the Titanic.
The company launched the American-made submersible from a Canadian vessel into international waters, raising questions about jurisdiction and oversight.
Netflix’s decision to re-release ‘Titanic’ amidst this recent tragedy has sparked a heated debate about sensitivity and ethical considerations.
Critics argue that the timing is inappropriate and disrespectful to the victims and their families.